Legendary Nigerian singer Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Face, has opened up about his hit song African Queen, calling it the track that changed his life but also became a “problem” for him.
Speaking on a recent Entertainment & Lifestyle show, the music icon said:
“African Queen has been a very huge blessing, and e come turn to problem join for me. But I am grateful for everything.”
Released in 2004, African Queen became one of the biggest love songs to ever come out of Africa. The track pushed 2Face into international fame, earning him the BET Award, MTV Europe Award and the MOBO Award — the first time an African artist would achieve such recognition.
However, the song has remained controversial for years because of claims from his former Plantashun Boiz bandmate, Blackface, who has repeatedly insisted he wrote the song. 2Face has denied stealing it, explaining that the song was originally a collaborative effort back when they were still a group.
The conversation resurfaced recently after Billboard named African Queen the “Greatest Afrobeats Song of All Time” in 2025 — a recognition that brought the debate back into public discussion.
Despite everything, 2Face says he remains grateful.
The song gave him history, fame, recognition, and influence — but it also came with arguments, accusations, and pressure that have followed him for over two decades.